National Republican., 1887-12-19
"The hill of Zion yields
A thousand sacred sweets
Before we reach the heavenly fields
Or walk the golden Streets"

a thousand sacred sweets
Before we reach the heavenly fields
Or walk the golden Streets"
The Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage, L. D., preached
on "Recrea,ions Good and Bad, ;" taking two
texts: First Corinthians,. vii. 81: "They that
use this world, as not abusing IT, and Judges,
xvi, %: "And It came to pass, when their
hearts were merry, that they said call for Sam
SOD, that bc may make us sport. And they
called for Samson out OF the prison house,
and he made them sport" DIR. Talmage said:
We are entering the gayest season OF the
year. The winter opens before US the gates Of
thousand amusemeuts, some of them good
ana some bad. One OF my texts will show
you that amusements may be destructive: my
other text will chow you that amusements
may be und the Divine blessing and direc.
tioD.
There were three thousand people assembled
In the temple of Dagon. They had come TO
make sport of eye1ess Samson. They were oil
ready for the entertainment; They began 70
to begin, and they cried, Fetch him ontl
fetch him outl' Yonder see the blind old
giant coming, led by the hand OF child into
pt tayaD CO there goes up a shout OF laughter aud
derision. The Blind old giant pretends he Is
tire d, and wants to rest himself against the
pillars Of the house; so he says TO tho lad who
leads him, Show me where the main pillars
are" The lad does SO. Then the strong man
puts his right hand on one pillar and his left
hand ON another pillar. and, with the mightest
forward until the whole house comes down
in thunderous crash, grinding the audience
like grapes In wine press. And 80 II came
70 pass when .n, sher ne hearts were merry that
us sport. And they called for Samson out OF
the prison house; aud he m lde them SPORT
in other words, there are amusements that
are desiructlve, and bring down disaster and
death upon the heads of those who practice
them. While they laugh and cheer they die.
1hc three thousand who perished that day in
tens ofthoutands who have been destroyed by
sinful amusements
But the other text have read implies that
there is q lawfu use of the world as well as an
unlawful abuse of 1t, and the diilereHce be-
tween tho man Christian aud the man un-
Christian Is, that in the former case the mai
masleis the world, while in the latter case the
this grand and beautiful world? For whom
this wonderful expenditure OF color, this grace.
fulpess of line, this mosaic of the ground, this
iItsto Of the sky. this glowing fruitage of
the tempest, In which the tree branches flute.
and the winds trumpet. and the thundcrs
drum, and all the splendors Of earth and sky
God spring the arched bridge of colors resting
upon buttTesses of broken storm clouds? For
whom did he gather the upholstery of fire
around the window OF the setting sun? For
children.
Ifyou build large mansion, and spread q
great feast after 1t to celebrate the completion
OF the structure. do you allow strangers TO come
In and occupy the place while you thrust your
own children in the kitchen or the barn or the
felds2 OBJ, no. You say, II am very glad to
and daughters shall have the first right there"
Now God has built this grand mansion of a
world; and he has spread glorious feast in it;
and while those who are strangers TO his grace
tends TO give the advantage to- his own
children, those who are the sons and daughters
Of the Lord Almighty, those who through
You can not make me believe that GOD gives
more advantages to the world than he gives to
the Church bought by his own blood. H. there.
i osGs Ss w9s S Soss SGssd %Se mass %s
profession Of religion. and have
issd i%s IdnOse aHO new rGOse GOayeTts are 60
longer In the world, and have some of Its en-
Joy ments and amusements and recreations?'
say TO such men of the world, '.You are
will thow that those people who stay out OF
the kingdom OF God have the hardships and
telfdeniala, while those who come In have the
Joys and the satisfaciions.
1his morning. in the name of the King OF
heaven and earth, serve writ OF eiectment
upt all the sinful and polluted VINO have
though it belonged 10 them, while i claim, in
b, hall OF the good aud the pure aud the true.
The .ternal inheritance which God has given
them.
Hitherto. Christian philanihroplste, clerical
ar d lay, have busted Themselves chiefly In de.
nounciDg sinful recreatlOns; but feel we have
no light to stand before men and women in
amounting to positive necessity denouncing
this and that and the other thing, when we do
not propose TO give them something batter.
God helping me this morning, and with refer
n m II mt
sphere moi usual in ermonzng, bat subject
which think ought 10 he presented at this
time. propose now TO lay before yon some OF
but positively helpful and advantageous
In the first place, commend, among indoor
rt rtcreaiions, music, vocal and instrumental.
Among the first things created was the bird,
start. This world, which began with so sweet
q sererade, is finally to be demolished amids.
theIirglng blast OF the archangels trump,t,
so that as there was music at the start. there
.ball be music at tho close. While this
heavenly art has often been dragged into the
uses of superstitition and dissipation. We all
know y may be the means of high moral Gull
ture. Oh. II Is grand thing 10 have our chill
dren brought up amidst the sound of cultured
voices and amidst the melody of musical in
slruments. There is In this art an indescriba
those families who have the means to afford
II, have flute or harp. or piano or organ. AS
room as the hand is large enough to compass
hs Keys Il how to PICK out the melody
upon their nature. Those VINO have gone into
1t fully have found in II illimitable recreation
and amusement. Dark days. stormy nights.
do little toward depressing the soul which
can gallop OFF over musical keys or soar In
jubilant lay. II Will euro, pain. 1t will rest
health. 1t will reclaim dissipation 1t viii
strengthen the immortal soul. In the bate OF
Waterloo Wellington saw that the ghlanders
nG He WAS se od ba AZ Ssna mat
music had ceased playing and he called up the
ptpers and ordered them to strike up an in
tpirilipg air, and no sooner did they strike the
air than the Highlanders were rallied and
helped TO win the day. Oh, ye who have been
routed In the conflicts OF life, try by the force
Of music 70 rally your scattered battalions.
there is hardly one night In which there are
not concerts where, with the best musical In
strpments and the sweetest voices, people may
ments when they are afforded YOU. Buy sea
son tickets II you can, for the Philharmonic
and the Handel and Haydn societies. Feel
that the dollar il and half or two dollars that
play or sing Is profitable Investment. Let
your Sieinway Halls and your Academies OF
Music roar with the aeclamation OF apprenia.
tive audiences assembled AZ the concert or the
oratcrio.
SIN further I commend, az worthy Of their
support, the gymnasium. This Institution is
tuiulIE ihNoi SNtiy ytuIs ulu huOW VI
nothing more free from dissipation, or more
calculated to reeupera'e the physical and men.
tai energies. While there are good many
people who have employed this isinstituu IN,
there is vast number who are ignorant of les
excellenc.s. There are men with cramped
chests and weak sides and respondent spirits
who through the gymnasium might be reused
up 10 exubeia auce and exhilaTatOn OF life.
There are many Christian people despondent
ilom Year TO year who might, through snch an
Institution, lie benefited In their spiritual re-
laiions. There are Christian people who seem to
tlink that u If a good s'gi, 10 ne poorly, and
because Richard Baxter aud HOuert Hall were
invalids, they think that by the same sickli
ness they may come to the same grandeur OF
character i want TO tell the Christian people
OF my congregation that God will hold yOn
responsible for yonr invalidlsm II II is your
fault, and when through night exercise and
prudence you might be athletic and well. The
effect the body upon the soul sou acknowl-
eoge. Put a man of mild dispositon upon
The animal diet OF whic the lndlan partakeS
and In llttle while his bloot will change its
NIi Ha